Blue Dog Dems Bark May Soon Be Silenced

The moderate Democratic House members known as blue dogs are in danger of being put to sleep in November’s elections. They suffered serious defeats in 2010, and now it looks like the carnage could get worse, Politico reports.

Of the 24 Blue dogs left in office, five aren’t running again, and more than five others face serious re-election challenges. Bottom line: moderate Democrats are on the run.

Redistricting lies at the center of the blue dogs’ woes. The boundary changes stemming from the 2010 Census report have forced some of the blue dogs to run for office in districts that are even more conservative than their old ones.

Reps. Jim Matheson of Utah, John Barrow of Georgia, and Mike McIntyre of North Carolina count among those who have been thrown into very Republican-friendly territory. That’s because Republicans in their state legislatures were successful in redrawing the boundaries to these Democrats’ disadvantage.

This election will be the most difficult any of them has encountered, according to Politico. They all face strong GOP candidates and sit near the top of national Republican hit lists.

“It’s a tough environment out there,” former Alabama Rep. Bud Cramer, a long-time member of the House Blue Dog Coalition, told Politico. “Their [blue dogs’] numbers are down. Redistricting has not been kind to them.”